Alpha pouted her lips and stole a look at Zayn. "So you're Aunt Carla's husband?" she asked weakly.
Beside her, Beta glared at the man and nodded fervently. "It's him! He's the one who snatched Randy, Venus, and Josh away at the vineyard."
"You're one big brat!" Gamma interjected, sticking out her tongue at Zayn, "My daddy will beat you up!"
Zayn sniggered looking at the children. "Is this a threat? You guys can do much better, kids. Y'all are still babies."
"Hmph! We're not babies. You are!" Alpha shouted back, clenching her fists, "I want Venus and Randy back!"
"Yes! You'd better bring them back!"
Beta flexed her fists too, snarling at Zayn.
"Don't be rude to my daddy!" A girl's stern voice suddenly broke the tense ambient.
"Venus!" The three girls screamed in excitement and ran toward Venus. "We miss you so much!"
"I miss you guys too."
Venus hugged each of them and pulled them toward the courtyard to play with them.
"They are a fierce lot, " Randy said, looking at the girls calmly.
Despite his detached demeanor, he actually missed the girls.
"Tell me about it, " Josh said in agreement, "They are worse than Venus when she was younger."
"Worse, worse!" Little Dori parroted her masters as she followed the two boys.
"Is that Little Dori? She's so cute!"
The three girls looked back when they heard the parrot.
"Be gentle with her, girls. Little Dori is also part of our family, " Venus reminded them as they ran toward the parrot. "Where's Dori?" Venus asked.
"Dori's resting in the attic. It's probably not used to the new environment, " Rogan replied.
"Poor Dori. We shouldn't bring it along when we travel. Dori always falls sick at a new place, " Venus said sadly, "I'll go check on it later. Dori might feel better seeing some familiar faces."
"It's okay. I will ask them to bring her over." With that said, Rogan went over to one of the men and asked him to bring the eagle over.
The children went on to play in the courtyard while waiting for Dori. Meanwhile, Zayn went upstairs to look for Carla. It did not take him long before he found her room. She always preferred rooms facing the sun, so he guessed it must be the second room from the right.
Zayn was about to reach for the door handle when Freda stopped him, but Benard was faster than her.
"What do you think you're doing?" Freda seethed at Benard.
"Give them some time to talk. Nothing can go wrong, " he replied.
"But…" Before Freda could resist, Zayn had already pushed the door open.
The bright sunlight pierced into his view the moment he entered. Inside the room, Carla was sleeping soundly on the bed with a photo album in her arms.
A gentle breeze blew by, wafting the curtains against her slender legs as warm rays of the sun beat against her fair skin, yet Carla slept on soundly.
Zayn tiptoed over to close the window. He drew the curtains and looked back nostalgically at the woman in the bed.
He could not recall when the last time was he watched her up close, let alone the last time the two shared a quiet moment together.
Zayn suddenly felt being in her quiet presence was a luxury.
He went over and pulled the blanket over her before he took the album from her hands. He walked over to the couch and sat down, watching her silently.
This was enough for him. His heart was full to the brim just by looking at her.
Watching her brought back all the fond memories they had together. He remembered the first time they met and how they fell passionately in love.
They had their happy and bittersweet moments together—but in hindsight—they were all moments he cherished.
Although there were insurmountable hurdles along the way, those barriers that prevented their relationship were beginning to lose ground. This was the best time for them to get back together, but life was never this easy.
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